The Unknown
by chronicxxinsanity
Summary: I stepped on a tooth. Yes...a tooth. That's the reason why we moved to Scotland, why I'm going to Hogwarts, and why I'm a Werewolf. Things have definitely taken a turn for the worst... let's see what my last year of school will bring. Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

The Unknown

**Chapter One**

* * *

So, I suppose this is where I'm supposed to introduce myself. I could go as far back as when it all really started, but that would take forever to thoroughly explain all the events that transpired. So I guess I'll get everything out of the way and into the open, so there'll be no confusion when I tell you some of the more recent things that've happened. Everyone has one question they want to ask when they first see me. Most of them don't actually ask it, for fear of coming off as rude, but I can see it on all of their faces. They want to know what happened to me. So I'll save you all the embarrassed stuttering as you slowly make your way around that minefield of a conversation: I'm a Werewolf.

It's fairly obvious to anyone who's met one before, or knows the signs to look for. I have scars, basically, everywhere. They fade after a while to the point where it just looks like I fell through a field of thorns, but they're there and they're very noticeable unless you're oblivious or have bad eyesight.

Even though most people would have figured it out long before I actually told them, everyone feels the need to come off as shocked. As if the thought had never crossed their mind before. I don't mind when people make assumptions, it's kind of hard to misinterpret what I am (unless you're a Muggle or have never been to a proper Wizarding School before). I think once they realize that I'm not going to snap at them or burst into full 'wolf form' and slaughter them, a little bit of the edginess disappears (only a little)... if they've decided to stay and talk to me, that is.

Now before you ask the question that usually follows me telling someone I'm a Werewolf, I'll tell you my tale. The most common way to be turned into a Werewolf is to be bitten while the person is in their transformed state. I suppose one, theoretically, _could_ be changed if the person wasn't transformed, but I've never heard of an actual case of that happening throughout all my research of the topic. I have, however, heard of a case of two Werewolves breeding; forcing the Lycanthropy into their children. Those are the two basic ways to become a Werewolf. Me? Neither of my parents are Werewolves, and I've never met a fully transformed Werewolf in my life (not including myself around that time of the month), and have never been bitten by one in their regular state. So how could I, a mere boy of sixteen, have been turned into a Werewolf?

I stepped on a tooth.

That's right. There is no epic tale of me fighting for my life against a bloodthirsty wolf, or being saved on the brink of death by a hero... no. I stepped on a damn tooth.

Back then, my family lived in America -Northwest Washington to be more precise- and while we had heard of a few Werewolves going into the Cascade Mountain Range to transform, we were pretty sure that our little home beside Lake Whatcom, and surrounded by fairly dense forest, would be safe from harms way. During our family reunion, we all got a horrible reality-check, and found out how wrong we were.

We were safe from Werewolf attacks - seeing as most try to go as far into the forest as possible - but I managed to find the _single_ tooth in the entire forest with enough saliva on it to transfer the Lycanthropy curse into my foot.

After it was confirmed that I was a Werewolf, no one was able to relax. The forests that were once beautiful and full of life, held the horrid truth that I would now be one of the monsters that roamed the woods. Even my little sister Salieri, seven-years-old at the time, changed. We used to play in the forest with our friends together; swimming in the lake, playing games in the yard, or just walking the nice trail that connected our yards through the woods... it all changed. My friends changed, my family changed, my _life_ changed.

A few months after I had stepped on the tooth, I had gone through two transformations. Pain was an understatement. For someone who hadn't even grown into an adult in their _human _body yet, having bones break and re-break is absolute agony. Thankfully, it was nearing the end of spring, and my older brother had just gotten back from his third year of school at Lewdrins School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Marcus is a whiz when it comes to potions, and the Wolfsbane Potion appeared simple to him. It was a _huge_ relief to know that I was still accepted in my family. None of them looked down on me; in a weird way, it brought us closer and farther apart at the same time.

I thought that after I took the Wolfsbane Potion, everyone would relax more. I could stay closer to home, so that when my father went out to bring me home after the full moon he didn't have to go far, and there was less of a chance of me running into any fully grown Werewolves closer to civilization. I suppose I was wrong about that.

Everyone was still on edge, and if it wasn't because of me, it was because of the dangers that we knew were lurking in the forests.

Another transformation later... our little family was hit with another tragedy. Uncle Anthony had always been the crazy one of the 'Greco' brothers - my father being the more responsible one - but none of us had thought he would be crazy enough to kill himself. I had still been in the forest at the time, and wasn't sure why my father didn't come to help me back home. I ended up stumbling around the forest until my older brother found me. There was something wrong, that much I could tell, but he wouldn't tell me what had gone on until we got back to the house. My father had been devastated, and even now he hasn't completely gone back to his regular self. He used to smile, laugh that booming laugh - he used to talk to us.

But like I said... everything was changing. He no longer smiled. He no longer laughed. He hardly talked unless it was to ask how my brothers schooling was going or how bad the transformation had been this month. Despite how our entire family was changing, and how everyone was experiencing some form of tragedy, I felt bad for my mother the most.

She was shouldering everything, and taking it in stride. She kept everyone's spirits as high as possible... which was no easy feat. We stayed in Washington for another year, and though I had found out a long time ago that I was a Wizard, I was not allowed to attend school at Lewdrins School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with my brother. I was considered a danger... and that was the first time that my condition had been thrown into my face. The rejection letter wasn't even kind about the situation; it simply stated that they feared for the students lives if a Werewolf were to attend the school, and that I would have to go somewhere else for schooling.

So, with no better options in life, I continued through school as a Muggle. I think it made my little sister happy. At the time, she showed no signs of being a Witch, and was even moodier because of it. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I could beat up anyone who made fun of her for being weird or just that there was someone (even though I was forced) to go to Muggle school with her. She was happy... and I was furious.

I wanted to go to a Wizarding School... and who wouldn't? I had the magical ability, and I wasn't allowed to learn how to use it right. I suppose it did help, to at least have some magical ability when it came to beating up people who picked on my sister for being... well... weird. The scars that were, by then, scattered across my entire body made me look menacing, and while I wasn't usually one to hurt people, my magic got away from me when I got angry... as did my temper when the full cycle was coming to an end. I got in trouble, and while I was constantly in detention at school, I wasn't in as much trouble at home. My parents understood me... well, my mother did, anyway. She was a Squib, but I think she understood my frustrations more than my father, who was a Wizard. I was only eleven years old, going on twelve, and I was being denied by the entire Wizarding Society.

I think that's when my mother snapped.

Sometime by the end of my first year of being rejected by Lewdrins, she sent out letters to every school out there. This was all, of course, done behind my father's back. He would have been furious (one of the only emotions we actually got out of him). He had given up hope, while the rest of us, save for Salieri, wanted to try and get me into a Wizarding School.

We finally found one that accepted me. In fact, the headmaster stated that I would not be the first Werewolf to graduate from the school, and that they would be glad to have me and make the appropriate accommodations. I was ecstatic... we were moving to Scotland.

* * *

_A/n: Thank you, to my beta reader {enapets21} and my friend {Kristallmond} who had betaed/'read over this for fun'. :) Keep your eyes open for the next chapter, which should be coming out pretty soon._


	2. Chapter 2

**The Unknown**

Chapter Two

So now you all know the story of how we got from America to Scotland. I, for one, was excited. I finally got to go to school. My mother was happy for me. My brother was happy for me. I'm sure, deep down and even though he didn't say a peep, my father was happy for me. The only person who wasn't happy was my irritating little sister, Salieri.

You'd think seeing her older brother happy would make her even a little happy, right? Wrong. She was even moodier than before. She would grunt as a reply and up and left a room whenever any sort of school was mentioned. Salieri wasn't even throwing fits anymore; she just sulked silently in her room and ignored everything that was going on in the world. She was turning into dad.

But as much as I felt bad for my little sister, I felt happier for myself. I had missed the first year of school, seeing as most witches and wizards start school at age eleven... but the headmaster insisted that I remain one year behind, to get the proper amount of schooling instead of skipping ahead to where I would be confused. But I was going to school! I can't even begin to explain how happy I was. I would finally learn to control my magic, instead of letting it get away from me whenever I got angry. I would finally meet people other than my father and brother who were magical folk. I had the possibility of making a friend!

But I still had one more transformation to go before I could start school at Hogwarts. I know... what a weird name for a school, but I could hardly care less about the name. It was one of the best schools in the country... and I was attending it.

XxX

"Did you know that only a handful of Werewolves have ever attended school before? I'll be one of the first!"

"'s nice, Nolan," my father grumbled, more into his coffee cup than to me. His eyes never left the newspaper. Before I could even let my shoulders slump or drop the book from my hands, I felt something warm grip my shoulder. I glanced up and found my mother standing behind me, amber eyes sparkling.

"That's great, honey." She insisted. Her mouth was open to say something else before we heard the slam of Salieri shoving her chair away from the table before storming up the stairs. This time, my shoulders slumped, and I let the old leather-bound book slip from my hands and onto the table.

XxX

My hopes and dreams for Hogwarts were too high, and I should have seen it coming before it hit me like a freight train.

I had expected to find friends, create our own little group and be able to write to each other over the summer holidays and even visit once in a while. I was wrong... like I had been about a lot of things so far.

I made one friend... sort of. I'm not even sure if he counted as a friend, because we barely spoke to each other unless we were working on something for classes. We kind of bonded over the fact that we were both quiet... he more so than I. Except, of course, around the full moon. It's a little difficult to explain in words, but I can feel the full moon. A few days before it actually comes, I feel hyper. I have too much energy and I can never get rid of it. I've tried running, wrestling with my older brother, but everything I try just never works.

I end up talking. A lot. I talk my family's ears off, and end up locking myself in my room to keep from annoying them too much.

But Adam never complained. We would sit by the lake, and he would let me talk about everything, except a certain forbidden topic, that is. He would listen and remain quite, often nodding his head understandingly and staring at the Black Lake; and I would ramble. I'd talk about the lake at home, Lake Whatcom, and how much different it was than the lake here at Hogwarts. I got into detail, too, without really realizing it. I would talk about the temperature, the plants under the surface, and even the color. But when most people would get annoyed, Adam just nodded and listened.

It sort of helped, and I had a feeling he knew it did. In a way, school was so much better than home, but it was all because of Adam. He was my one friend, someone who understood me without the need for conversation; we fit together perfectly... and it made being away from home so much more bearable. When I was around Adam, I forgot exactly what I was. I felt normal... even though I wasn't.

That was another thing... although I was around people who were like me... I wasn't. They were witches and wizards, and I was a Werewolf. I could never even tell my one kind-of-sort-of best friend about me being a Werewolf... I couldn't tell anyone. The teachers and staff were already informed of my "condition", and besides the monthly visit to the Shrieking Shack, it was never spoken of... and I was never spoken to.

It was like I was a disease... and even the staff at the school were too scared to talk to me. The first night I met everyone, they even called it my "condition"... like I was sick and contagious.

I learned in my first year that raising my hand in class didn't exactly get me called on. In the teacher's attempts to not show me too much attention, for fear of other students questioning my 'special treatment', I was treated like every other quiet student in the school... I was ignored. But it was worse than that... I was ignored by the other ignored students. I couldn't even join the little group of quiet people that sat towards the end of the Gryffindor table; I just never fit in with them.

I never fit in, period. Except with Adam, of course.

Adam Wendell was a great friend, and he was smart if people would give him a chance to talk. I think he even knew something was wrong with me, but he was just too polite and embarrassed to bring it up. And I don't really blame him. It's not too easy to go up to the one person who accepts you and accuse them of being a monster. I would do the same thing, even though I wished more than anything that Adam would bring it up during one of my rambling-sessions... so that maybe one person outside of my family would know about me.

But he didn't, and I didn't. We had that little unspoken agreement that we wouldn't talk about what was wrong with me... and I was foolish enough to keep it that way.

And I think we did have some weird, secret bond. He knew what was wrong with me, and I knew there was something wrong with him. I didn't notice it at all until our third year, and even then, I didn't say a word. I tried convincing myself that we had that unspoken agreement that our flaws were not to be discussed. And I think that's what killed my kind-of-sort-of best friend. His silence turned into depression, and his depression opened up his mind to the idea of suicide.

At first, I had thought that the address was a hint to go and visit him over the summer… which I had planned to do. But after I received the letter from Dumbledore, explaining that my friend had killed himself, I understood what his intention of it was. I'm sure his parents didn't know he had any friends at school, so that address was my one chance to go and say my final goodbyes to someone who had shared the silence with me for years.

After the funeral, everything went by quickly. Instead of studying Werewolves, and informing my family of my new discoveries, I stayed in my room. No one cared besides my mother, anyway, and I'm sure even she grew tired of the subject after a while. So the days grew into weeks, and the weeks grew into a month before I had my last transformation of the summer.

Even that flew by quickly. I didn't want to say I was numb, but I was in a state of delayed shock. I was going back to school in a week, and my one friend, the one person in the school who took notice of me and accepted me, had killed himself. I was most definitely, not, looking forward to another year at what had turned into my little hellhole.

XxX

I boarded the train alone, heading for my fourth year at Hogwarts. My father had gotten a job offer at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, meaning he could finally work at a job that would start to pay more... and meaning that he had no time to come and drop me off at Kings Cross Train Station. Salieri was sick with the flu, and seeing as it was still her summer vacation, we knew she wasn't lying; my mother decided to stay back with her.

So I had no formal goodbye from my family... which was actually alright. I had barely talked to them in full sentences, most of us communicating in grunts and nods-except my mother-so it was hardly any different than normal.

I had to catch myself as I scanned Platform 9 3/4, looking for that familiar head of reddish-brown hair, always neat and tidy. I had to stop myself when I realized that Adam wouldn't be joining me on this trip to Hogwarts.

My shoulders slumped of their own accord, and this time my mother wasn't there to cheer me up with a reassuring smile.

My depressing thoughts of how lonely this next school year would be were cut short when something slammed into my back, causing me to fall forward, do an impressive and painful flip over my trunk before landing with a thud on my back. I let out a groan as I moved a bit, testing my limbs before deeming myself unharmed enough.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" A frantic voice sounded from the other side of my trunk. A small boy glanced up over the edge, brown eyes wide and fearful; a first year.

I shook my head, grabbing my trunk and the boy's arm, and dragged them both out of the way just in time for another Wizard to pass through the barrier.

Usually, Adam was at the end of the Platform, waiting patiently alone until the train pulled up, and I would go and join him. However, without him there, my feet were rooted to the ground in the highest traffic area of Platform 9 3/4.

"It's fine, you okay?" I asked, turning my trunk so that it was right-side-up. The boy nodded, brushing off his slacks before accepting my hand. I hauled him up to his feet, surprised at how little he weighed. He smiled sheepishly before grabbing his trunk, and scratching the back of his head.

"I'm fine, sorry 'bout that," he mumbled before setting off into the crowd of students and families, waiting to send their children off on the Hogwarts Express.

I stayed where I was, now that I was out of the way, leaning against the stone wall until the shrill cry of the Hogwarts Express filled the Platform. I made my way to the train along with everyone else, slipping around large families engulfed in one giant hug before I finally found a door that hadn't been blocked. I hauled my trunk up the few little stairs and pushed past a few people until I was finally walking down the hallway in search of an empty compartment.

Normally, I would have sit by Adam, the two of us sitting in silence in a compartment towards the front of the train. But this time I had to find my own compartment, shut the door behind me, and sit in the awkward silence that followed. It was a good half and hour before the train gave it's first lurch forward, and the uproar from outside-parents screaming last goodbyes and little notes to their children-was heard throughout the entire train. I watched the window, waiting for the bricks to pass by faster and faster until we were finally out of Kings Cross Station.

I sank down lower into the seat, staring at the empty spot across from me. That dark blue seat should be filled by Adam, sitting with his hands resting on the seat beside his knees and watching the landscape go by for the entire ride. I wallowed in those thoughts for a few minutes, remembering the few years where we sat in a comfortable silence on the train ride to and from home. The sounds of the train on the tracks had once been a nice accompaniment to the silence, but now it was too loud. I wanted the regular silence that we had shared.

I sighed, propping my feet up on the seat across from me, and forced myself to turn away and look out the window.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Unknown**

Chapter Three

I was jolted out of my semi-sleeping state by the train coming to a sudden halt. Thrown across the compartment, I scrambled off the floor and clutched the side of the seat. The train had never stopped so suddenly before, and as I glanced out the window, I realized that what had started as a semi-warm day had turned into a rain storm. I rubbed the sleepy haze from my eyes.

I could hear the commotion from other compartments; students were screaming and yelling at each other in their haste to figure out what was going on. I tried my best to shrug it off, and sat back in my seat, watching the rain hit the window and listening to the people on the train. The Hogwarts Express gave another lurch forward, nearly sending me back onto the floor... but this time I had gripped the windowsill, and remained seated.

The screaming and yelling only grew louder before it died away. After all the noises, the silence that followed had an eerie chill to it... or maybe it was the chill that had silenced everybody. I pushed myself further back into the seat, still holding onto the windowsill in case the train decided to take another jump forward.

And the chill grew colder.

I could have sworn that the windows weren't coated in ice before. I pressed a finger against the glass and pulled it back, inspecting the small area where the ice had melted at my touch. It froze back over within seconds.

Now the chill was getting... eerier. There wasn't really a specific word to describe it. It seemed to reach down somewhere inside, and freeze everything in its path. My body grew numb and I felt my muscles tensing up of their own accord.

_What the hell is going on?_ My thoughts were scattered and frantic before everything inside me was suddenly silenced. Usually, when there is absolutely no noise around me-like now-I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. But it was silenced. I could see my breath casting a fog into the air around me, but I couldn't hear it. I was caught between panic and relaxation, in an odd limbo that put me even more on edge.

_What the _hell _is going on?_

My eyes were drawn to the compartment door, where the foggy glass would show only the shadow of a person walking by, but there was nothing there. I was about to look away when the tiniest of movements caught my attention. The corner of a sleeve billowed into my view for a split-second, and then left. I stared at the spot, waiting for it to happen again, but when it didn't I turned my attention back to the window.

Whatever was happening, I'm sure the teachers or staff of Hogwarts-or at the least, the workers on the train-had some sort of grasp on what was happening. A surprise search? Maybe... but they had never done it any of the other years... why start now? And why was everything absolutely freezing?

I saw it again, the tiniest of movements at the door. My head turned so fast that I shut my eyes in pain at the whiplash. I waited for it to subside before daring to open my eyes again. I nearly jumped out of my skin. There was a huge shadow in the doorway. Huge.

It was moving, but very slowly. It glided past the door, its cloak billowing behind it.

When it was completely out of view, I let out the breath I had been holding. It came out in a giant puff of fog, and none of the relief I had been expecting came to me. I was still on edge, and everything was still cold and eerie. The train remained silent, and I waited quietly for another minute or two before the train gave another little lurch forward.

People finally began talking; quietly at first, but it grew to where I could hear everyone in the compartments around me. They were confused, scared, and still freezing cold... from what I could pick up. I put my feet back up on the seat across from me, and rested my elbow on the windowsill.

Whatever had happened, it was done now-and whatever that creature was... it seemed to be gone. The ice from the windows began melting away, inch by inch, and the train finally gave another lurch forward, sending the Hogwarts Express back into motion once again.

The rain continued to pound the window in a soothing rhythm, and I sat back and watched it, no longer sleepy after that little ordeal.

The door of the compartment next to mine was thrown open, and one of the girls let out a tiny yelp at the sudden intrusion. Judging by their hushed giggles and whispers, they had been gossiping. I listened as a deeper voice spoke to them, and the answered, but I couldn't hear any individual words. The door shut and I heard the footsteps leading towards my compartment.

As I had expected the door opened with a click and I looked up to see a man in some shabby cloaks. One of the train workers, maybe? I honestly had no clue if any Wizards actually worked on the train, or if it was all done by magic... I made a little mental note to ask.

"Hello, I'm just coming through to see if everyone's alright." I turned back towards the window, nodding once and folding my arms loosely around my stomach.

"'m fine," I mumbled, cursing the habit of short-responses that I had gained over the summer. Well, it could have been worse, I could have grunted like dad always did.

The man glanced back down the hallway before turning back to me. I was at the front of the train, meaning his job was probably done.

"Would you like some company for the rest of the trip?" He asked, motioning to the seat across from me.

Without even thinking about it, I shook my head. My silence was better than an awkward silence with a strange worker on a train. He was probably looking at me with something akin to shock, but I was staring out the window. Right now, I wanted my silence back. Well... what I really wanted was Adam back, and our silence... but for now my silence was as good as it was going to get.

"Are you sure? The train ride can be a little lonely-"

"'m fine, alone."

There was a silence, a little less awkward than I had imagined, before he apologized quickly for the intrusion and shut the door.

I sighed, sinking further back into the seat, and wallowing in my own silence for the rest of the train ride.

XxX

Man, did I feel like an idiot or what?

After everyone had filed into the Great Hall, and I managed to find a seat about halfway down the Gryffindor table, I got another glimpse at the "train worker". No... I was not short with a train worker and basically kicked him out of my compartment... I was short with a _teacher_, and basically kicked him out of my compartment.

I mentally kicked myself.

Every year, there's at least one or two new teachers. And each and every year, I have to go and speak with them about my "condition". There was no chance that I could avoid his attention for the school year, and there probably wasn't much of a chance that he would forget about how I basically-okay, not so basically-kicked him out.

Dumbledore gave his usual speech, and then went on to explain what that blasted creature on the train was: a Dementor... one of the guards of Azkaban. Okay, so I probably wasn't listening as well as I should have been for such a serious topic. But by the time I heard the word 'Dementor' (how could that not catch someone's attention?) and the brief description, the headmaster had moved on to waving his wand through the air, and summoning the feast.

I picked at the food on my plate, ignoring the students talking about their summers and what had happened on the train, just as they were ignoring me. I probably managed a bite or two before the food vanished altogether. Usually I loved the feasts at Hogwarts, but it felt like there was something weighing my stomach down and I just wasn't hungry.

I tried to make a mad dash out of the Great Hall... maybe I could make it out the door and to the common room before Professor McGonagall got to me, and told me which teachers I needed to talk to. Whatever this new teacher's name was... I'm sure he would be on the list. Sadly, my 'mad dash' was more of a tiny sprint before I was met with a wall of students, all with the same goal as me. So it was with a heavy sigh that I turned around and faced McGonagall.

"Who is it this year?" I asked, aware that my voice was overly gloomy, but not wishing to change it. I was in a bad mood... and so far, my first night back at Hogwarts was not going as planned, even with all other events considered.

She gave me a sad, tight-lipped smile, "Professor Lupin. Technically, Hagrid is a new teacher, but seeing as you've already talked to him your first year, I think we can skip it." She gave me what was probably supposed to be an encouraging smile before motioning over to the teachers table, where the man in the tattered cloak sat chatting idly with Hagrid.

I sighed, trying to push some of the gloominess out of my voice and expression. I had obviously made a bad first impression, but maybe he wouldn't ruthlessly give me detention after detention if I was semi-nice now. I pushed against the crowd of students until it was only the first years, too terrified of what lay beyond the large doors to move unless told to. I moved passed them, easily enough seeing as I was a good foot or so taller than most of them.

Once I was past the students, I suddenly wished that I had taken more time. Now I was standing in the middle of the Great Hall, alone with the rest of the teachers.

Dumbledore gave me a small wave before leaving the little stand in front of the teachers table, and left through a small door in the back. I was left staring at Snape, Hagrid, Sprout, and this new teacher-Lupin.

Snape gave me the same tight-lipped sneer as he did every year before following the headmaster. Now there was three. Professor Sprout wiped her mouth with her napkin, before standing and leaving the Great Hall as well. Then there were two. I was halfway up the little stairs before Hagrid finally saw me.

"Nolan!" His voice was loud and happy before his expression did a one-eighty. "I'm sorry to hear about what happened over the summer." I nodded, giving him the best smile I could muster... but I didn't feel like talking about it, so I kept my mouth shut. It was suddenly awkward after his booming voice finished echoing around the hall. Both sets of eyes were on me, and I suddenly felt like a little child again, being put in the spotlight for the first time. "What can I do for ya?"

"Um, actually, I need to talk to Professor Lupin," I said, wishing my voice had been a little louder than it came out as. His dark eyes suddenly turned into that sad, understanding look that he had down so well.

"I see, well, I'll leave you to it then." He stood and bid Professor Lupin a quiet goodbye before making his way clumsily around the teachers table, effectively knocking over half of the plates and silverware when his knee nicked the edge. He chuckled awkward before finally leaving the Great Hall.

And then there was one.

"Nolan?" Lupin asked, as if prompting me. I nodded my head awkwardly before realizing what he was asking.

"Oh, Nolan Greco."

"Would you prefer to talk here or in my office?"

I glanced around awkwardly. I had never talked about... well... what I was, in the open before. It had always been behind locked doors and in a whisper. I turned back awkwardly to him, and he nodded in understanding.

"My office it is, then."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Unknown**

Chapter Four

Everyone had managed to get to their common rooms, leaving the corridors completely empty. I walked a little bit behind Professor Lupin, deciding to stare at the cobblestone floors as I let him lead the way through the castle to his office.

I was still in a bad mood, but from what, I couldn't tell. There was just something so... irritating, about having to be here alone. I counted the days in my head; five. Only five days away from the full moon. I really hoped that I could keep my mouth shut, if only for long enough to quickly explain what I was to Professor Lupin. Rambling wasn't the brightest idea when it came to this particular topic.

After what seemed like miles, Professor Lupin stopped at a door and pulled out a key. I waited patiently behind him, chanting in my head to just get this over with so that I could go to sleep.

"Come on in, Nolan," Professor Lupin said, motioning for me to go in first. I slipped past him into a rather small-looking office and waited awkwardly by the door as he went to lean against the desk that had been pushed off to the side to make room for two chairs.

"Want to sit?" He asked, motioning towards one of the two chairs. I debated quickly in my head; he could take a 'no' as an insult, so with a shrug I plopped down in one of the chairs. I probably should have been meeting his gaze; he was now staring at me as I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. I never wanted to wear the cloaks, no matter how cold it was, and inside the castle walls it was warm enough to where I could go without the sweater as well. My white shirt was a little dirty around the edges... huh... interesting.

I managed to stare at the dirt and pick at it for another minute before Professor Lupin gave a weak cough, obviously meant to grab my attention.

"I believe you had something you wished to talk to me about?" I glanced up and instantly looked back down. His amber eyes were staring directly at me.

_Didn't he already know? Everyone is given a letter about me when they start working here. This 'meeting' is merely a formality._ I waited for another moment. _He's going to make he say it... isn't he?_

"Didn't you get a letter from Dumbledore?" I realized a little too late that my voice had taken on the 'I'm irritated leave me alone' tone again, and smiled weakly in an attempt at a silent apology. He didn't seem phased.

He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't believe I did. What would the letter be about?"

I paused for a moment, wondering if I should just leave now and let Dumbledore explain it all to him. I didn't exactly want to go to bed, but right now, anything sounded better than this conversation that was about to take place. I stopped myself as my hand automatically went to fiddle with the hem of my shirt.

"I have to tell you about what I am."

My heart was pounding in my chest... am I about to do this? I've never been the one to tell someone what I am. It had always been a family member or Dumbledore. Most people knew by the time they actually met me... but this was entirely new. New and extremely unnerving.

"And what would that be?" Either he was playing stupid, or was horribly unqualified to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Didn't that require knowledge on dark creatures? A Werewolf most definitely would fall under that category... and to anyone who knew how to identify one, it's was obvious what I was.

"A-a Werewolf." I barely managed to whisper the words, staring down at my lap while he seemed to inspect me. Of course, now that he knew what was sitting in his office, he would rethink how easily he let me in here. Most teachers kept their distance whenever possible... and inviting a Werewolf into one's office wasn't exactly 'keeping one's distance'.

"Ah, I've had to speak to people about, well, you're type of condition, in my past." He sounded sympathetic, but his choice of words got to me before the actual meaning of what he was saying did.

"It's not a _condition_!" I was a little shocked at my own voice. Was I hissing? I had no idea I could sound so... venomous.

He seemed taken aback, and was now staring down at me with wide amber eyes. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm not a disease!" I was seething now. Usually I didn't get this angry at, well, anything, until just a few days before the full moon. But this was a little different than my normal 'anger'. I felt like some crazed animal, backed into a corner-or in this case, forced into an uncomfortable conversation.

Professor Lupin shook his head. "I didn't mean that you were-"

"Everyone calls it _my condition_, like I'm something contagious-"

"I didn't mean-"

"Well I'm _not_. I'm a fucking Werewolf, but that doesn't make me a diseased freak."

Why was I shaking? The fingers that had been fiddling with the hem of my shirt could barely grasp the fabric. I couldn't tell if it was out of anger or something else. Everything felt... conflicting. I was angry and scared at the same time, and my stomach felt oddly cold-was that normal? And why couldn't I look up at him? I was a fearsome beast, creature of the night... I should be able to look my professor in the eye. But I was too scared. Would he be angry that I went off on him? I already faced a lot of anger at home, from my sister and my father... I didn't want it from someone at school too.

"I think you've misunderstood me."

My eyebrows furrowed briefly; it felt like something was crushing my chest. Why couldn't I breathe?

"I didn't mean to say 'you're condition' like that, I was merely-Nolan? Are you alright?"

I had started to ignore Professor Lupin's words the moment I realized I couldn't breathe. Panic filled my mind and I tried to force my lungs to take in oxygen. I felt a hand on my shoulder and instinctively shoved myself away from it. Something hit the side of my head. Hard.

White dots popped up in my vision as I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the throbbing pain in my head to go away. I was gasping for air, and my mind briefly took in my position... was I sprawled out on the ground? Whatever it was that had been crushing my chest was gone, but there was still a lump in my throat that I had to fight against. I had no clue what the crushing sensation was, but I did recognize the lump... and I was not going to cry.

I heard someone calling out my name, but I was too preoccupied to try and find out who it was. My brain was working overtime, with less oxygen... bad combination. I tried to calm down, but the pain that surged through my chest wouldn't allow it.

I had felt this only a few times before, and it took me a long time to figure it out... I was having another asthma attack.

Right as that realization hit me, I felt something grab my shoulders, and in another wave of panic, the realization left me. I tried to pull away from whatever it was trying to grasp me. The pressure on my chest had just left, and I was scrambling away from any other pressures against my body. There was something cold and solid against my back, and I managed to slide along it in an attempt to get away from whatever it was.

More white dots popped up in my head, and the blackness that usually engulfed me had turned into an odd, static-like light show. And then, like the end of any show, the curtain was dropped over my eyes... and everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Unknown**

Chapter Five

"Wake up, Nolan."

Something cold was pressed against my cheek, and while I initially moved away from it, it became soothing once I realized my skin felt like it was on fire. I pressed into whatever it was; my mind was too clouded to really register what the heck was going on.

"There you are, wake up." The voice was kind and gentle, and for a moment reminded me of my father-before he started showing nothing but anger and a dismissive attitude. It couldn't be Dad... but I didn't know anyone else with a voice that deep. Dumbledore's was more airy, and Adams had been barely a whisper.

I tried opening my eyes, only managing a few weak blinks before my mind started to clear. I was at school... I had been in Professor Lupin's office... oh God. I passed out. Not only that, I had an asthma attack, then passed out on his floor.

"Welcome back, Nolan."

My eyes shot open to find a smiling Professor Lupin kneeling down in front of my chair-didn't I fall out of that?-and pressing a cold towel against the side of my face. I would have jumped back, but I knew only too well that sudden movements would only give me a light-headed feeling.

"That was quite the fit you had," he said, his voice more happy and playful than his expression showed. I nodded, making sure the movement was slow so that I didn't encourage any dizziness.

"Asthma," I muttered, pulling myself further into the chair so I could sit up straighter.

He pulled back, and set the wet towel on his desk before leaning against it and fixing me with an odd stare.

"I was told that you were a Werewolf," he said bluntly, eyes staring sadly down at me. I looked back down at my lap, ashamed.

"Then why did you make me tell you?"

He shrugged, staring down at the rag on his desk. "I suppose I wanted to give you a chance to tell me yourself. I know when I was younger everyone was told what I was before they even met me."

"Yeah, I-wait... huh?" Great, now I could add 'stupid look' to the list of things that haven't gone as planned tonight. I shut my mouth, which apparently had been hanging open.

Professor Lupin chuckled, as if there was some secret joke that only he knew about. 'What I was'... what did that mean? I stared in shock at my professor before realization hit me. If I looked closely, I could see a maze of scars across his face and hands. They were barely lighter than his skin, but in just the right light they would look hauntingly white... I knew that only too well. There was a tired look on his face, even as he laughed. I knew that look...

"You're... a-"

"Yep, I'm a Werewolf." He smiled, but his eyes looked sad.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

He chuckled, "I tried to. But I figured that helping you regain consciousness first would be a good idea... seeing as I am responsible for your well-being and all." A little bit of the sadness had left his face, but it came back in full force when the main topic of our discussion had to resurface.

"So... I guess I don't have to ask you to keep it quiet, about me."

The sad smile was back.

"Of course. I'd like it if you'd do the same for me." I nodded, staring at Professor Lupin in what was probably still a stupid expression of shock. "There's also the matter of our transformations."

My eyebrows furrowed together as the words slowly made sense in my head. Of course! If they hardly allow Werewolves in schools, it's probably a first for them to ever have two Werewolves in one school.

I nodded my head again.

Way to look intelligent, Nolan. I scolded myself. Professor Lupin was now watching me closely, which made me a little uncomfortable, but I pushed the discomfort away and stared back.

"We can either transform together, or remain apart." He paused. "I would be fine with either. I've transformed both alone and with others there to help me... so I'll leave that decision up to you."

I glanced back down at my lap... why was I still fiddling with my shirt? I forced my fingers to part with the now dirtier fabric. Huh... that's probably why it's so dirty in the first place. I looked at everything but the professor waiting patiently in front of me.

"I-I'm not sure."

"Of course, you don't have to decide right this minute-"

"How was it different?"

"Sorry?"

"How was the... transformation... different for you, with others there?" He seemed to ponder the question for a moment.

"I suppose it was better and worse. I was scared for my friends, but...," a small smile lit up his eyes, "It was nice to not be alone."

I watched his expression carefully and then looked back down at my lap, letting him relive his memories alone. He shook his head, obviously trying to rid the memories from his mind for the moment.

"Well, the full moon will be in less than a week. Whenever you've made a decision, you can let either me or-"

"I... I want to give it a try."

His eyebrows rose briefly before he composed himself. "You don't have to make the decision right now."

I nodded, finally feeling a little more sure about myself. "I've kind of wondered what it would be like with someone else there. I mean... my brother's always made me Wolfsbane Potion, but no one wanted to come out with me." I suddenly chuckled, and it sounded a little weird and dark. "No one wants to run around the forest with a Werewolf."

There was a gentler smile on his face. "Okay, we'll try it once and see how you like it."

Well... this turned out a lot different than I had thought.

"You should probably be getting to bed about now, I've kept you too long already." Professor Lupin said, pushing himself away from the desk and checking his wristwatch. I stood, pausing after I was on my feet to make sure I wouldn't topple over. Once I was sure of my balance, I backed awkwardly towards the door, giving my little half-wave before shutting it behind me.

That definitely turned out a lot different than I had thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Unknown**

Chapter Six

I'm not even sure how it happened. One minute I was walking down the hall, hands in my pockets and minding my own business... and the next thing I know, I'm pressing my knee into some Slytherin's stomach and introducing my fist to his face.

At first, I wasn't sure if he deserved what he got. But after two Gyrffindor's pulled me back and I started to think again, I remembered the snide remark after we bumped shoulders.

_"Watch it, Greco. Just cause your boyfriend died doesn't mean you can't watch where you're going."_

After I remembered his words, I struggled against the arms that were holding me... but just as I was close to breaking away, another pair wrapped around my shoulders and made escape impossible. He looked shocked; apparently wizards aren't accustomed to the ways of Muggle fighting. In my opinion, it was quite the stress reliever and a very effective way to shut someone up.

A few choice tugs on my ear, and someone was leading me through the castle. Man, did this person have nails! I clamped my jaws shut in an attempt to not make any whining sounds. I rubbed my ear when they finally let me go, pushing me towards a seat which I automatically took.

"I am very disappointed, Greco." I nearly groaned, but kept my mouth shut. I knew that voice anywhere. "We do not attack other students! I've never seen a wizard throw away his wand in favor of... Muggle fighting."

McGonagall's voice was harsh, and I'm sure her expression was livid if I could look up and meet it. I could still feel my blood boiling, and I'm sure my expression wasn't exactly nice and innocent; keeping my face down was the best I could do to help my situation.

She finally let out a sigh after a moment, though when I glanced back up her jaw was still set.

"I know this is a difficult time for you, but I can not let you off without punishment." I nodded. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, and detention every Saturday for three weeks."

I nodded... that actually wasn't too bad. I didn't care about House Points too much, and what was I to do with Saturdays now?

She let out a frustrated sigh, but motioned sharply to the door. "Go to class."

I nodded again, heading quickly for the door.

Had I been interested in things like making new friends or becoming popular, this would have been great. But I hated it. On the way to class, all the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and even the mouse-like Hufflepuffs tried to do things like high-fives and pat me on the back for my 'job well done'. I had known that nobody liked Slytherins, but who knew that people would be this happy for something as simple as me tackling one of the slimy bastards and punching him a few times?

I brushed off most of the high-fives, ignoring everyone's confused expressions, and tried to avoid the back-patting as much as possible.

Eventually, as I made my way up to the upper floors for Defense Against the Dark Arts, almost everyone went back to normal, and left me alone to walk beside the wall and try not to accidentally knock into people. I had about ten minutes of unwanted attention, and I really have no idea why people would want that. It made me uncomfortable and even more irritable than I already felt. I was thankful to just have to back of the classroom to myself until the class started.

I knew the dreaded words would leave Professor Lupin's mouth before he even spoke.

Nolan, please see me after class. I mimicked the words in my head, a little ruder than I had meant to, but hey... he can't hear my thoughts. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, opting instead to just folding my arms over my stomach and waiting for the class to file out the door.

I snapped at the girl sitting two seats down from me for talking too much. Honestly? She deserved it... and I wasn't even being that rude! There had been no name-calling or fowl language, just because my tone was a little harsh didn't mean that I should be asked to stay after class. I avoided Professor Lupin's eyes as we waited for the last little group of students to leave; the door banging shut behind them sounded a lot louder than it should have.

When I glanced at Professor Lupin, he was motioning to one of the desks closer to the front.

"Care to sit up here?"

I thought about saying something like, I prefer it back here, but stopped myself with my mouth halfway open. I gathered my bag and jacket and dumped them unceremoniously beside the desk, sitting down heavily and staring at the desk in front of me.

"I heard from a few students on the way to class, what happened with you and Mr. Zwagger," the sentence sounded both like a statement and a question, so I continued to sit at the desk and pick at a little piece of wood that was splintering away. When he continued to stare at me, I figured he was waiting for some kind of response.

"Who?"

"A third year Slytherin." I picked at the piece of wood for a little longer.

"I didn't do anything."

"Well, according to people who witnessed it, you attacked another student." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. 'Attacked another student' makes it sound so much more... vicious, than it was. He deserved it, but then again, the students around the corridor probably didn't hear his snide remark.

"I didn't attack him." His eyebrows rose a little bit at that statement.

"Then what would you call it?"

I shrugged. "A provoked reminder?"

I could see he was trying to hide the small twitch of the corner of his lips, but he wasn't doing a very good job. Apparently even the teachers took House-sides when it came to student squabbles.

"As far as I know, you hadn't been provoked." I could see where this conversation was heading, and a chill ran down my back at the thought. I was not going to explain to him what 'Mr. Zwagger' had told me. "Can I ask what he sa-"

"No." He looked shocked, but I was a little too irritated by the conversation that he was pushing towards to care if his feelings were a little hurt. We were both Werewolves, but I was not about to let him pick my brain. "I already got a detention from Professor McGonagall, am I going to get one from you too?"

He looked even more shocked than before, but eventually shook his head. I picked up my bag and threw it over my shoulder, making my way towards the door.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow for class."

I shut the door behind me and headed towards the Great Hall, feeling the unusually cold September winds picking up through the corridor. I sighed and reached for my jacket, which was usually thrown over my bag.

Great... I left it in the classroom. I paused for a moment. Hmm... go back and face Professor Lupin, or go without a jacket for the rest of the day. I shrugged... all I had left was Potions, and the dungeons were only a little colder than the corridors up on the top few floors of the castle. I made my way past a few groups of Hufflepuff girls, giggling and whispering about something, and headed towards the Great Hall for lunch.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Unknown**

Chapter Seven**  
**

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If I thought things were a little awkward in Defense Against the Dark Arts the next day, it was even more so the day after that...when I had to meet with Professor Lupin and Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing for the Wolfsbane Potion.

I was nervous about having to face Professor Lupin again. He had called on me once in class the day after I snapped at him and stormed out of the classroom, catching me completely off guard as I stumbled into a horrible excuse for an answer. After that and a worried glance as I left the classroom, we hadn't spoken or seen each other since. It was getting closer to the full moon, and like ninety percent of the time, I was completely on edge. A little second year was running around the corner, terrified of being found in the corridors after his curfew, and I barely managed to keep my heart securely in my chest as it pounded in my throat. This was definitely the worst part of the entire 'cycle'. At the end - the few days when the moon is shrinking again - my entire mood shifts to being miserable. I ache, can't eat, and only want to sleep...yet I'd prefer that to my current jumpy, irritated, and quite honestly pissed off mood.

Everything was louder and oddly muted at the same time. It was like I could hear everything, little conversations of people across the classroom, that pesky little blue bird trying to peck on the window...absolutely everything was heard, but it hardly registered in my head. Everything felt like it was moving double-time, and I was barely managing to keep up. This did nothing to help my attitude, and I found myself in another detention with Professor Flitwick before weekend had even fully begun.

Now it was Saturday night, one night before the full moon, chilly but not cold enough for me to wear more than my regular white shirt and black pants. I longed for my Muggle clothes; jeans and an old beaten up t-shirt were the most comforting things I could find whenever the full moon was approaching or leaving...but while wandering around the castle, I had to go by the dress code. I fought the urge to get pissed off over this, and instead, let my muscle relax when they started to shake from the cold. Everyone always talks about going somewhere warm and enjoying the sun...but I could hardly stand the heat. I preferred to be cold, near the point of freezing, but warm enough to where I could force my body to relax and embrace the chills. Sadly, Madam Pomfrey must have lit a fire towards the end of the Hospital Wing, and the moment I opened the door all traces of cold were forced away.

A little disappointed, I shut the door behind me and listened as Madam Pomfrey's shoes clicked against the floors in a rushed pace until she emerged from her office, motioning for me to follow her.

I was greeted with an awkwardly forced smile from Professor Lupin, who was sitting on one of the rather large armchairs, before he looked back into the fire. His elbows were resting on his knees and he was leaning forward, looking about as 'on edge' as I felt.

"Merlin's beard, boy, where is your jacket?" Shrugging and ultimately ignoring the question, I sat down heavily in the armchair next to an exhausted-looking Professor. Just as my eyes landed on the fire roaring in the fireplace and I managed to send it a little glare, a goblet full of thick, dark purple liquid was pushed into my hand. Yum...Wolfsbane Potion. Not only did it _look _deadly, it _tasted _quite deadly too. I pinched my nose, hoping to save at least one of my heightened senses from the offensive odor. While I chugged mine, Professor Lupin simply downed his - no nose-plugging - and stared back into the fire.

"Like always, you two will need to stay here for about a half an hour so I can make sure that the potion does its job." I nodded idly, glancing over at Professor Lupin as Madam Pomfrey walked out of the office, her heels clicking on the stone ground in her wake.

"Sorry I snapped at you," I mumbled, smiling when Professor Lupin's head shot up, though it was a rather weak smile. His eyes looked drowsy, and he had bags under his eyes. The fire only managed to light up the room enough to cast shadows over his face, making the scars that drew mazes across his face look even more haunting...I'm sure I didn't look much better.

He smiled, and looked a little relieved-though still exhausted.

"There's no need to apologize," he sat back in the armchair, "I remember being a Werewolf at your age."

"It gets easier?" I was a little skeptical of this, but I couldn't keep the hope out of my voice.

He shrugged. "A little, I guess. Certain things change once your body is fully grown."

"So, because I'm still growing, the...transformations...are worse?" I had a hard time talking about this so freely with someone who wasn't my mother, father, or older brother, but I pushed passed the awkwardness.

He nodded, his expression going back to being just exhausted once more.

"Are we going to the Shrieking Shack?" I tried to think of anything that would break the semi-awkward silence that had fallen in the office.

"Yes. We'll probably meet at my office an hour before we need to be there, and go through the Whomping Willow."

"An hour before?"

"Just in case we come across anything that will delay us," he said idly, "we need to make sure we aren't halfway there before the full moon rises."

I stared into the fire, eyebrows furrowed as I tried to work it all out in my head.

"But, if we took the Wolfsbane Potion, would it matter? I mean, as long as we're out of the castle, we can still just run over to the Shrieking Shack...transformed.

Professor Lupin seemed to ponder this, remaining silent for a few minutes before finally responding. "It was requested by the headmaster that we remain either in the Shrieking Shack or the Forbidden Forest, and that we be there before the transformation begins."

I shrugged off the question that immediately followed, but couldn't ignore another one that was slowly bubbling to the surface. "Why can't we go to the forest?" I had never thought of going there before...the Shrieking Shack was just where I went, but with two Werewolves (one fully grown and one almost-fully grown) it seemed like the little shack wouldn't have enough room.

Again, he was silent for a little bit while he thought.

"We could if you would like to," he shrugged, "but you just have to remember that while in the form of a wolf, we can run a lot faster and longer than we can in our regular bodies. If we run too far from the castle, even by mistake, it can take days to return without the medical care of Madam Pomfrey."

I felt my shoulders slump a bit at that. I was used to changing in the forests of Washington, filled to the brim with evergreens, mossy grass, and shrubs, and that had become my 'home' during the full moon. Professor Lupin suddenly looked up from the fire.

"We can go into the forest, if you'd like. Some people are used to transforming in different places." The statement sounded more like a question as he turned his eyes to me, prompting for an answer.

"I grew up having to hike into the forests of Washington-Northwest US," I added, not sure how much he knew about the geological location of my home-state. "I don't think the forests will be exactly the same...but can we try going into the forest?"

He nodded, a sad smile on his face as he turned back to the fire.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/n: So an apology is definitely in order for how late this update is. I have some HUGE plans for the future of this story, and was having some trouble connecting them from here to there._

* * *

**The Unknown**  
Chapter Eight

* * *

Things weren't getting any better, but they weren't necessarily getting worse, either. I'm pretty sure that most of the people shoving passed me in the corridors weren't all on purpose, but I could still hear a small group of Slytherins whispering, probably unaware that all my senses were working overtime as the full moon approached.

I managed to ignore most of them, and stayed in the Gryffindor common room for a majority of the day. My stomach did flips whenever I glanced out the window. On the horizon, barely visible with the shine from the sun that didn't seem to be casting any warmth, was the nearly-full moon.

Tomorrow's the full moon, my stomach did a flip at the thought. I had been fine when I knew I was going to transform alone...but this was going to be a whole new experience, and I wasn't sure if it would be better or worse. After I came to that conclusion, that tomorrow could be either great or horrible, it felt like something was pressing down on my chest. I had never dealt with the idea of not knowing what was going to happen well, and this wasn't an exception. I sat in the red chair by the fireplace, making sure that I was breathing properly as I tried to push the thoughts out of my head.

Despite the fact that I was doing absolutely nothing, time seemed to fly by. I'd stare into the fire for a few hours, maybe pace around a bit if the common room was empty, then sit back down. I tried to read, but ended up setting the book down after reading a few sentences. I picked it up again...Muggle Studies was usually one of the more interesting classes in my opinion, but I couldn't hold the book for more than a minute before having to set it down again. Before I knew it, the sun was gone and the school grounds were barely visible in the moonlight outside the window. I had wasted the day away doing nothing, and I still couldn't wait to go curl up in bed and sleep.

Everything else was a bit of a blur. I kind of remember waking up feeling sluggish, skipping breakfast; but it was almost like within the blink of an eye I was standing outside of the Gryffindor common room, leaning against the wall and waiting. Waiting for something. I scratched my head, marveling at how long it took me to do that single movement. Was this normal? Was I supposed to not remember half of my day and barely be able to move? Who the hell was I waiting for? Just the other day it felt like everything was going twice the pace; I could hear and see everything around me, but now everything slowed down.

I jumped as a meow echoed around the corridor, my body remaining tense even after the echoing had stopped and the hallway went back to being silent.

"Ready?" I probably jumped a few feet in the air, and landed a little shakily. How did I not hear the footsteps approaching, or even see Professor Lupin coming up the stairs?

"Um...yeah." By the way his eyebrows furrowed in slow motion.

"Are you okay?" My lack of an answer seemed to be an answer in itself. "What's wrong?"

I felt myself lean against the wall and had to stare at the stone ground to gather my thoughts. Why was this so hard? Saying a simple sentence shouldn't be this difficult, right? It was like I was sitting back and listening as my thoughts ran sluggishly through my mind; they bounced around from the problem at hand to how the stone floor could look blue, gray, and brown at the same time. Something grabbed my shoulder and I jumped a bit. Right...someone was standing next to me.

"What's wrong?" Professor Lupin repeated, his voice sounded a little firmer.

"I don't know if the potion worked." I wasn't watching his face, but Professor Lupin's hand was gone from my shoulder. I glanced up, feeling as if my muscles were working overtime for the simple movement.

"How do you feel?"

It seemed like hours before I could open my mouth to reply. "Slow. Um...I don't remember much about today...is this normal?" I suddenly felt panicky. What if the potion didn't work? Was this a weird side effect, or maybe an allergic reaction? The potion could have mixed badly with some kind of food that was in my system. Maybe my body got used to the potion my brother brewed, and was in shock with the change to the potion made by Professor Snape. It wasn't really that my body wasn't working properly that caused me to panic a bit, but that I didn't know what caused it. It could be anything.

Professor Lupin shook his head, eyebrows furrowed as he grabbed my shoulder again. "That shouldn't happen, but we still need to get to the Forbidden Forest before the full moon comes up." I nodded, slowly pushing myself away from the wall. The corridor spun for a moment - a blur of blue, gray, and brown - before I found my balance and was able to walk beside Professor Lupin without holding onto the wall.

This definitely wasn't normal.

My mind finally processed a question enough for me to ask it. "What if the potion didn't work?"

"Well," Professor Lupin thought about that for a moment, pushing open a door that looked like any other classroom door. A wave of cold wind knocked the air out of my lungs, and we both stepped out onto the Hogwarts grounds. "Your body's reacting to it in some way, but even if it doesn't work for the transformation, you shouldn't have to worry."

"Why's that?" A few different scenarios played through my head, most ending with me attempting to maul my professor. We were walking alongside the castle now, towards the Whomping Willow and a path that would lead us to the Forbidden Forest without being seen from the castle windows.

There was a small smile on his face, but it didn't reach passed his lips, and his eyes looked as sad as always. "Seeing as I'm a fully-grown Werewolf, I'll be able to keep you under control if the potion isn't working." We were nearing the edge of the forest, and a chill went down my spine. I had never been this close to the treeline before, and had never gone close with the intent of going inside. I wanted to ask some more questions. What if there were other animals in there that would attack us before we changed? What if we were trespassing on something's territory? I pushed them all out of my head when I glanced back up at Professor Lupin. He seemed calm, despite the icy cold air and the fact that we could be walking right into another creatures territory. I tried to adopt that same calm, but it didn't seem to work quite as well.

Within a few moments, we were standing with our toes on the line between Hogwarts grounds and the Forbidden Forest. Without even hesitating, Professor Lupin stepped into the shadows. I waited a moment, a feeling of dread grabbing my chest as I tried to keep my teeth from chattering. Finally, I stepped into the forest. All the light from the sky was swallowed whole, leaving just enough for me to see the back of Professor Lupin's jacket as I followed him.

We walked around for what felt like hours, but what was probably only a few minutes. My heart leaped into my throat whenever a branch would grab my jacket, or whenever I heard a twig snapping in the bushes. It was terrifying, but I continued to follow Professor Lupin. He suddenly stopped, and after I almost ran into him I glanced over his shoulder. He stopped at what looked like a small clearing. The trees and bushes, though dead-looking, were extremely dense. The clearing couldn't be more than a few feet wide, but it was more space than we had come across so far.

"We'll stop here," Professor Lupin stepped into the open, and I followed. It felt wrong standing in the middle of the clearing. Something could be watching through the bushes, and we'd be standing in the open; easy targets.

With a sigh, Professor Lupin lowered himself to the ground, his back against one of the trees. I followed suit, my legs pulled up to my chest. I had imagined that the forest would be something like in Washington, but it was nothing like it. There, it felt like there was room to move around. Here, it felt suffocating.

Professor Lupin's words broke through my train of thought. "Now, we wait."


	9. Chapter 9

**The Unknown**

Chapter Nine

* * *

Small talk had never been so awkward before. Professor Lupin estimated that we had a half an hour before the full moon would rise over the mountains, but time went by slowly when we were struggling to find something to talk about. We went a few minutes in silence, but even that was worse than when we were talking. The small noises that were probably made by harmless creatures made me jump when it was the only sound in the forest. When my mind wasn't occupied with the conversation at hand or the noises around us, it went to the transformation that was creeping up on us.

"Do you have any siblings that go here?"

I shook my head. At first, I really did make an effort at the small talk. We chatted about school and classes, but when he turned the conversation onto family I found it harder to open up and talk to him - responding instead in shaking my head and nodding. I didn't want to explain that my older brother had already left school, but might as well had not gone at all since he decided to live as a Muggle. I didn't want to explain that my sister was a squib, and angry at everyone under the sun for it. And I really didn't want to explain the whole reason we moved.

"Did your parents go here?" I shook my head. I watched from across the clearing as he bit his lip, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees in a nervous manner - did he sense something out there? I watched the treeline as well, but there were no little noises anymore. His voice broke through my panicky thoughts. "This is very awkward, but if we want to save our clothes and wear them back to the castle, we need to take them off before the transformation."

* * *

This was _definitely_ not what I had imaged when we set out to transform in the Forbidden Forest. Somehow, my mind didn't conjure up an image of me and a professor that I hardly knew - and wasn't too fond of - standing back to back in a clearing with our clothes folded up by our feet. I finally finished folding up my pants and set them down, standing back up and wrapping my arms around my shoulders. It was cold with clothes on, but freezing when there was nothing standing in the way between the wind and my numb skin.

"Can you feel when the transformation's coming?" I asked through chattering teeth. I think Professor Lupin nodded or shrugged, but I wasn't going to turn around to find out.

"Y-yeah." He sounded like he was shivering too.

"Is it close?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to get it over with or not. I wasn't looking forward to the pain I knew it would cause, but once it was all over I could go back to my normal self.

His voice was shaking, "Yes." I shut my eyes tightly when I heard him gasp. My stomach went icy cold and my previously numb skin suddenly felt like it was on fire. I felt cold and hot at the same time, and I was sure that the screams that were ringing through my ears were my own. I heard the sounds of bones snapping before I actually felt it.

Pure agony. There was no other way to describe it. My bones broke, mended together, then broke again as they shuffled around under my skin. The screams blended together until I wasn't sure if I was still making them or hearing a mere echo of them. It felt like boiling water was making its way through my veins, leaving a ghost of pain behind it.

Something hard was pressing into my side, and when I opened my eyes to find out what it was I had to shut them quickly. Everything was extremely defined, and in the shadows of the trees and bushes I could see almost everything, even from my spot on the ground. In that small glimpse of the clearing that I got, I could tell that there were four birds of pray in the trees above us, and a scrawny rabbit bolting away from where it was previously scavenging the leaves and moss. By the smell, I could tell that a herd of centaurs - about fifteen of them - were heading north and had passed by the area a few hours ago. A flash of excitement went through me when I came to the conclusion that one was injured or ill...easy pray. It felt like too much information was trying to be processed in my brain, and in an attempt to make it all stop I remained as still as possible on the ground. The trembling came in waves, but my mind was too occupied with the new sounds and smells to deal with the pain that was slowly fading with every shake.

It felt like the entire transformation happened in slow motion, but after it was over I could barely remember it. After the trembling stopped it was like I was never human before. Like I had always been able to see, smell, and hear this clearly. As if I had always felt this strong and powerful...like I had always been the wolf.

I heard the sounds of something moving around behind me and briefly remembered that there had been someone else with me. I felt something cold press against my shoulder, but before I could move away from it, it pushed harder, rolling me over. The movement jolted my tired mind awake, and after stretching out my lengthened limbs I finally stood up.

A howl sounded from behind me, close enough to make me jump and whirl around, only to find myself face to face with a larger Werewolf. His fur was lighter than mine, and he stood almost a full foot taller than me. My first instinct was to make myself smaller and shy away from the possible threat, but before I could do that the Werewolf before me sat down, bending his head down to my eye-level. I couldn't explain the sudden jolt of energy I felt, but I leaped forward and barreled into him. He let out a surprised yelp and I found myself swatting a paw at his head before taking off into the bushes.

I heard a howl from behind me and answered it automatically, running faster through the forest and easily dodging trees and bushes. The cold leaves and moss felt refreshing under my paws and everything seemed like I was finally seeing it through opened eyes. It was as if there was no life besides this one, where I could run to my hearts content.

Something grabbed my leg from behind and I realized that the person following me had been forgotten. I fell hard on the ground, but what would normally drive the air out of my lungs barely phased me. I regained my balance in time to dodge the body that was flying towards me. What felt like laughter left my mouth, but it reached my ears as an odd growl. I didn't stop to care about how my laughter sounded, and I was sure that as he kicked pieces of moss and leaves off his legs that he understood me. The Werewolf got back up after shaking the leaves out of his fur and turned back to me, yellow eyes flashing mischievously. I had the brief realization that this was my teacher chasing after me, howling and growling whenever I turned to jump at him. I faintly remembered thinking that I didn't like him, but all thoughts relating to my other life disappeared as I splashed through another stream.

Everything else felt like a past life. Something that I could faintly remember if I thought about it, but didn't really want to. It wasn't the life I was living now; this was something entirely different.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Unknown**

Chapter Ten

* * *

I woke up warm and confused -confused because I never wake up warm. I either wake up in a freezing cold forest covered in dew or in my bed with the covers kicked halfway across the room. I never wake up warm, but decided not to question it. However, questions definitely popped up in my mind the second the source of my warmth - behind me - started to move. I didn't realize I had jumped away until I was cold again, rolling out from under a bush and laying with my back pressed against a tree root and a few icy cold leaves sticking to my face.

I wanted the warmth back, but I was not about to go crawling back so I could cuddle with my professor. He opened his eyes, shutting them again quickly as the bright morning light streamed through the treetops.

He let out a groan, rolling out from under a bush that had apparently served as our shelter. Professor Lupin looked completely different - though I kept my observations above the waist - and it was an awkward realization that we were both still naked. His usually some-what neat hair looked like it had gone through a tornado and barely survived. It stuck up at all angles, with leaves and twigs embedded in the graying brown strands. His face bore a few scratches, but there was an odd expression on his face as he slowly propped himself up on his elbows. He looked happy.

That was a weird concept and, instead of thinking about it, I pushed it from my mind. I was sure that I didn't look much better, but when I moved to sit up I was shocked - it didn't hurt nearly as much. Usually all the little scratches that had managed to heal a little bit would split open again, and the ones that hadn't healed were just plain painful. There was an ache that went down to my bones, but it wasn't as bad as it usually was.

"We need to get back to Hogwarts." I could barely understand Professor Lupin through the scratchiness in his voice. I nodded, feeling oddly dazed as I tried to stand up. We must have simply stood in the clearing staring at each other for a few minutes, but I wasn't really seeing him - and I don't think he really saw me. It was like I was looking at everything through a glass of water; I could _see_ it, but it wasn't clear. "Are you okay?" I think I nodded, but my movements felt sluggish. I just wanted to crawl back under the bush and fall back asleep. "Good, come on."

He put his hand on my shoulder to steer me out of the clearing. I think I followed him like a puppy dog after that, but I don't remember much about us stumbling through the forest. It was as if we suddenly appeared on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, though when I glanced up to see that the sun was almost halfway through the sky, I wondered where those few hours had gone.

Professor Lupin hadn't said a word since we started walking back towards Hogwarts, so his voice sounded even scratchier than it had before from lack of use. "Our clothes should be around here somewhere." I nodded and glanced around the clearing. It was like I knew I had to look for something, but I wasn't sure what or where - I just couldn't wrap my mind around the concept. So I stood and stared awkwardly ahead as Professor Lupin searched the immediate area. I could hear him stumbling around in the bushes around me, and kept my focus mainly on where the noises were coming from. A cold breeze shifted the tree branches before it finally reached my bare skin, reminding me exactly how close it was to winter despite the sun high in the sky. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my stomach in an attempt to ward off the chill.

My mind must have drifted to something else, because I nearly jumped out of my skin when something was tossed at my chest.

"Are you alright?" maybe it was the fact that my pants fell to the ground in a heap because of my lack of reflex that tipped him off. I nodded and quickly put them on, thankful to at least have a little bit of dignity while standing awkwardly across the clearing from my professor. I naturally kept my eyes away from him - even though we were now partially clothed, but I couldn't help but glance at him as he grabbed another pile of clothes and tried to decipher whose was whose. His skin was pale, making the maze of scars across his torso and arms stand out as a brighter white against white. "Here's your shirt." Professor Lupin finally stepped forward to hand me my shirt, obviously a little more comfortable now that our pants were on and we no longer had to face each other while awkwardly adverting out eyes.

"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling my voice crack as I realized how thirsty I was. Just saying that one word burned my throat, so I kept my mouth shut as I pulled my shirt on and buttoned it up.

"We should get back and see Madam Pomfrey." How could he talk when his throat was probably as dry as mine? I nodded and took to following behind him again, trusting that he knew the way through the remaining stretch of forest between Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest. My bare feet made only a little noise as I stepped through piles of dead leaves and twigs.

The noise was suddenly gone, but I was still walking. I glanced down at my feet, which were covered in a variety of colored leaves. I took a few more steps forward, but the sound just wouldn't reach my ears. I must have stopped, because I felt a pair of hands grab my shoulders. I looked up sharply, wincing at the sudden movement that shook my brain and jumped at the suddenly close proximity between me and Professor Lupin. When had he turned around? Why didn't I hear him?

It looked like he was talking. Well, his mouth was opening and closing, and I'm sure that normally there would be some sort of sound. Was he playing some kind of joke on me? I stared at his mouth, willing the sound to come out, but I couldn't hear a thing.

The small sounds of the forest - the wind, the birds, and the other small creatures - faded away until I heard a low buzzing noise. It almost sounded like some sort of flat line in the hospital, and for a second my heart skipped a beat. Why was I hearing this?

The hands on my shoulders were warm, drawing my attention away from the weird buzzing noise in my ears to the man in front of me. Right...Professor Lupin was trying to talk to me. Suddenly all I could see was him. The brightly lit forest disappeared, and while I kept my focus on him, I was aware of the sudden lack of surroundings. The hands shook me, and after they stopped it felt like I was still moving - like my movements and reactions to his touch were delayed. By the look of worry on his face, I could tell that something was wrong. I knew I couldn't hear, or see anything but him, but there wasn't the panic that I would normally expect.

I remained calm, somehow.

A hand disappeared from my shoulder and pressed against my cheek. I wanted to move away from it, but I couldn't. Instead, I continued to stare at Professor Lupin's mouth which was still talking and trying to listen. Maybe if I listened hard enough? No. It looked like he was talking louder, but I still could only hear this damn buzzing noise. After a moment, even that faded away. I clung onto the image in front of me, of Professor Lupin - hair sticking up in every direction and a few new scratches on his cheeks - before even that began to fade.

* * *

It was dark, and I was warm again. This was weird...waking up warm more than once over the course of a day. It had been a day, right? I couldn't quite tell. After the image of Professor Lupin faded, I was warm. Which was definitely weird. If we were in a forest - even if we were clothed - I shouldn't have been warm. Was this bad? I had no clue, but settled for remaining warm and in the dark rather than trying to wake up.

_"...said he wasn't feeling..."_

_"...shouldn't be...side-effect..."_

_"...you must be..."_

_"...not right this second..."_

_"...what do you think...?"_

There were voices around me, but I tried to block them out. They sounded familiar, but I couldn't place them. I had finally adjusted to not hearing anything - even if I knew it wasn't normal and probably a bad sign - it was oddly peaceful. I wanted that silence back, but the voices wouldn't butt out.

_"...you sure...?"_

_"...don't know..."_

_"...I know..."_

There had been two distinct voices before, but that last one was someone else. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on ends and a chill ran down my spine at the icy cold voice. They continued to go in and out of focus as if my ears were stuffed with cotton balls.

_"...perhaps..."_

_"...not now..."_

"I'll make sure to let you know." That voice I did know - Professor Lupin. The suddenly clarity of it shocked me a little bit, but it was calming at the same time. Surrounded by blackness and only able to understand a few words, it was comforting to hear a familiar voice - even if it did just belong to my professor.

I felt my fingers twitch in an attempt to move. They were gripping something warm and soft and I automatically curled towards it.

_"...awake?"_

"No, I don't think so." It was Professor Lupin's voice again followed by a sigh. He was close by, I could tell by how loud his voice was. I wasn't sure if I wanted to wake up - well, at least let them know that I was awake - or just continue to lay in the darkness. But it wasn't silent anymore. There were hushed whispers around me, but at least the cold voice that had sent shivers down my spine was gone and replaced with another.

"I'll wait." His voice was the only thing I could focus on. I tried to move, maybe signal to him that I was awake, but I couldn't move. I tried to twitch my fingers again, but I couldn't tell if they did or not. I tried to move my arms, but when I stopped trying it felt like they suddenly weighed a hundred pounds. I struggled to move my legs, but they wouldn't budge either. It felt like there was a huge amount of weight on me, but it didn't hurt - it just made it impossible to move.

So I tried to relax. While I was trapped in this odd half-conscious state, I should rest up, right?


	11. Chapter 11

**The Unknown**

Chapter Eleven

* * *

I woke with a jolt, but when I opened my eyes I couldn't remember what had forced me awake so suddenly. I was sitting up in the hospital wing; the only light source being from the torches towards the large doors. The light flickered across the stone floors, and after a second of letting my eyes adjust I found that I was alone.

I glanced around the hospital wing. It felt like it had been noisy right before I woke up, but went silent as I opened my eyes. There was the remnants of sound in my mind, but whatever it was, it was gone now.

I sighed and pushed myself into a sitting position, groaning a little at the persistent ache that seemed to penetrate right through my bones. It wasn't nearly as bad as the aftermath of a transformation usually was - after I sat up the ache subsided enough for me to focus on other things around me instead of dominating my mind. However, now I realized that there really wasn't much around me.

I squinted my eyes a bit when I looked out the window, but I couldn't figure out what time it was – the sky was a stormy, dark gray color. My wand was sitting on the bedside table beside a glass of water. I downed it in a few seconds and was thankful to whoever thought to leave it out for me. I set the glass back down and noticed a small piece of paper that the water had been weighing down. Picking it up, I noticed my mother's obsessively neat handwriting scrawled across the front.

I jumped when the door opened slowly, the hinges creaking and echoing around the hospital wing. I debated throwing the covers over me and pretending to be asleep, but it was too late. A head peaked into the room, and a boy I didn't recognize smiled as he scanned the room and saw me. It was odd. I was about to tell him that his friend was probably sent back to the dorms already, but when he started walking straight towards my bed I thought that maybe he wasn't here for someone else.

"Hey, Nolan Greco, right?" I nodded, confused at why this boy I didn't know was smiling at me. _Smiling_. Not the 'I pity you' smile or the smirk of a disdainful Slytherin, but an actual smile. I was so caught off guard that all I could do was nod.

I finally cleared my throat when he raised his eyebrow, realizing that I had just been staring at him for a minute. "Um...who are you?" I cringed a little at how rude that sounded, but he didn't seem to care. He dropped his bag on the bed beside mine and sat down next to it.

"Anthony Savill." I didn't want to say that the name didn't ring a bell, so I merely smiled back weakly and shook the hand that he offered. "I'm in sixth year," he said politely, probably figuring out that I had no clue who he was. "I came in here earlier today to see a friend and noticed that you were here. Madam Pomfrey suggested that I bring you your homework after dinner-" _Great,_ I thought, _Madam Pomfrey put him up to this._ "-when I asked if I could do anything to help."

This boy was definitely weird. While he seemed to glance me over I did the same, taking note that his hair seemed to be caught between a soft snowy white and a bleached blond, and that his skin was oddly tan, making his hair stand out even more. He let out a sudden chuckle and shook his head.

"Man, you sure look bad for falling out of a Gryffindor Tower window." I chuckled as well, though I felt suddenly nervous when my state of health was brought into the conversation. After he said that, though, he shuffled through his bag - not taking a close look, which I was thankful for. "Sorry, that was kind of rude." I went to say that I didn't mind, that I probably _did_ look horrible, but he cut me off. "Anyway, here's your homework. Professor Snape said that yours still has to be done on time, but everyone else said that you could do the work when you're feeling better."

He dropped a few books onto my bed along with some pieces of parchment and quills.

I groaned, picking up the potions book that was on top of the stack. "I suck at potions," I murmured.

"If you don't mind my asking, where are you from?" I looked up, a little shocked. No one had really asked me that before - well, no one had really _talked _to me at the school before. "Well, your accent's a little odd. I just couldn't place it."

"The U.S.."

"Oh, so you're an exchange student, then?" At my confused look, he elaborated a bit. "It's just that, if you had lived here for years on end, your accent probably would have faded."

I shook my head. "No, I've been going to Hogwarts for five years now. My brother is just hellbent on keeping his accent and I guess I just kept mine by talking to him a lot." I left out that part where I didn't actually talk to him that much, but in comparison to how much I talked to anyone in general, it was enough to feel like he was the only one in the world who spoke to me. Anthony nodded his head, and neatly plucked the potions book out of my hands.

"You know, this stuff isn't that hard, we did this all last year. I could help you if you'd like." The sentence was said more like a question, and though his head was bent over the book he glanced up at me through his nearly-white hair that hung into his face.

"Um...sure. Thanks."

He immediately stood up. "Move over." I scooted to the side of the bed, a little confused at what he was doing until he sat down next to me, and pushed all of the other books onto the bed beside mine. "Okay, so it looks like you guys are writing three parchments on the Drimithic Potion..." I glanced over his shoulder as he flipped through the book, landing on a difficult looking potion. "It's okay, it's not that hard," he said, as if sensing my sudden drop in mood - I really was horrible with potions. "I'll help, you'll get it done in no time."

He smiled, one of those _real_ smiles again that showed that his teeth were about as white as his hair, standing out against his tan skin and the slightly dim light in the hospital wing. Yep, this boy was definitely weird.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Unknown**

Chapter Twelve

* * *

"Thanks for giving me more time on my assignment. _Professor_ Snape demanded I have my potions essay done by tomorrow." I rolled my eyes at having to call him a 'professor', but after talking with Remus after breakfast I knew that I would receive a mini-lecture if I left the title out.

"I'll usually be pretty lenient if there's a good excuse." Remus said casually, looking over the class essays that had been turned in later that day. I sat in the front row with my legs up on the desk, feeling better than I had in a long time.

Too long. At least, it felt like forever. I suppressed the urge to chuckle as a thought came to my mind. I sound like Aunt Mia, my mother's sister. We wouldn't see her often, and hadn't seen her since we moved away from the States, but I have this one memory of a time when she stayed with us for a week and would not stop complaining to us about her happiness...or lack of. Even to us kids! Daniel had escaped in time, but Salieri had only been about five or six years old, yet there she was, sitting on her aunt's lap and awkwardly comforting her.

I couldn't help it. I remembered the exact look on Salieri's face when she was scooped out of the sandbox and forced to sit there for hours, she had been mortified. At that mental picture, I couldn't help but laugh.

Remus's head shot up from where it was previously hovering over the essays. He looked shocked at first, but smiled a second later. When his smile didn't fade and he didn't look away I shifted uncomfortably - good mood or not, I hated being stared at.

"What?"

"Nothing," he shook his head and turned back to his papers, but I could still see the smile on his face. "You're just acting very different than before, that's all," he added.

"Yeah," I rubbed my shoulder awkwardly. "Sorry about being so moody."

Remus shook his head and smiled again, though this time he kept his face over the papers. "Don't be sorry. I remember being a werewolf at your age, it was much more difficult."

"So, it'll get easier?" I asked hopefully.

"The transformations? No," that made my hope diminish a little bit, "but the moodiness before the full moon? Yeah, that will gradually get better with time." I smiled and leaned back in my chair a little more, enjoying the comfortable silence in the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom.

Remus looked up through the hair that was covering part of his face. "Are you sure you don't want to go to lunch?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not that hungry."

"So, have you made any friends here?" If I had been doing something I would have stopped in my tracks. Instead, I watched his quill move across a student's paper for a few seconds.

"Um...yeah. Anthony Savill." His expression didn't change, but I continued to watch him. "How did you know?"

"Hmm? Oh, I came to say hello while you were in the hospital wing and saw the two of you studying." I nodded and suddenly felt a little awkward. Why? I had been completely comfortable before, but something in the room felt different. Why had he brought that up?

"Why didn't you say hi anyway?"

Remus shrugged and moved the paper to the side, looking down at another one in the stack of papers to grade. "Well, most student's don't get visits from their professors." He glanced back up at me before turning back to his papers. "And Anthony is a smart boy. I'm sure someone here will soon figure out that I'm a werewolf, and if I'm always visiting you and going out of my way to be nicer to you than other students, they'll catch on."

I nodded and paid some attention to the fraying threats on the knees of my jeans.

"Do you know why I had those weird side effects?"

"Hmm?" Remus asked, moving a paper out from under his nose and onto the slowly growing stack of finished papers. "Oh, no. We're not sure. But it worked – that's the important part."

"And, are we going back out to the forest again next month?" I asked, a little unsure of the answer I was going to get.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

Remus set his quill down and glanced back up at me. I felt a little awkward under the knowing look he was giving me. "We ran a _long_ ways away from the school." A look of confusion flashed across his face before it was gone. "How long do you remember walking?"

"Um...I'm not sure. Maybe a half and hour?"

He rubbed his forehead and looked back down at the papers, letting out a long breath.

"Why? Was it longer?"

"Nolan, we were up at seven in the morning and didn't make it back to the outskirts of the forest until nearly two in the afternoon." I stared at him in shocked. There was no way we had walked for _that_ long! "You may be young enough to make that trip every month but each transformation takes a little more out of me. It'll be best if we stay somewhere-"

"But what if we keep that more in mind? Remus?" I added when he didn't look like he was going to answer me.

Remus set his quill down again and sent me a look that seemed to be calculating my sanity.

"You _do_ remember how you felt, right?" I nodded, not sure where this was going. He let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead again before looking back up at me. "We're there, but we don't really care where we are or where we are going. We remember ourselves enough to know our friends from our enemies, and that's all. We need to stay in the Shrieking Shack and you need to remember to call me professor in class." I was a little taken aback by that last comment. Didn't I always call him Professor Lupin? I shook off the thought and took my feet off the desk.

I nodded and heard the bell for the afternoon classes to begin. Slowly, I grabbed my back and jacket.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow for classes, professor," I couldn't help if I sounded a little disappointed and irritated – I was! I wanted to go back to the forest, where I felt more at home and comfortable...how could a tiny little shack be better than that? I gave him a small wave goodbye, something he probably didn't see before I shut the door behind me.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Unknown**

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

"You look like you're in a bad mood." It was both a statement and a question, earning Anthony a small glare before I even knew what I was doing. I shook my head and smiled apologetically at the tall boy next to me.

"Sorry."

Anthony sat down at the Gryffindor table, earning a few odd stares.

"Um...what're you doing?" I asked awkwardly.

Anthony gave me a sideways glance before turning back to the empty place in front of him. "Eating? Don't be sorry."

"Huh?"

"For being in a bad mood," Anthony shrugged, grabbing a few pieces of bacon. "We all have bad days."

"Talk about it," I muttered. The day itself wasn't that bad. It was starting to get colder, but there was nothing _wrong_ with it. But me? It sure felt like there was something wrong there. Today was perfectly fine, it was after the full moon, I had gotten the chance to run around in the forest during the transformation...I should be feeling great.

But I wasn't, and I couldn't figure out why.

"What's got you down?"

"What? No, I'm fine. Just tired." Anthony shrugged. "Why are you so nice to me?" The question popped up in my head so suddenly I didn't even think about it, I just said it.

Anthony looked taken aback.

"Why am I so nice to you?" Well...it was no use taking back the question now. Anthony thought about it for a second, nibbling on bacon while he thought. "I'm not sure. You just looked kind of sad lying alone in the hospital wing. Then, when I paid attention, I realized that you're usually alone, and that maybe you could use a friend." He flashed me a quick smile, one of those real ones that showed how sharp his K9 teeth were.

"Oh," I said, unsure of how to answer to that. There wasn't anything I could really say, and Anthony seemed to know that. "You know, most people sit at their own house table."

Anthony shrugged and smiled again, this time a little mischievously.

"You're trying to get rid of me, aren't you?"

"No, just wondering why you're sitting here," I said, quickly, realizing a little too late that he was only joking.

"Stop wondering. I want to, so I will. Forget what they think," he sent a Ravenclaw boy who was giving him a weird look a glare before turning back to me, his face softening again into a smile.

Before I could answer to that, Anthony was holding a piece of toast in my face. "Eat," he demanded in a playful tone. "You're as thin as a stick. You need food."

I smiled and grabbed the piece of toast from his hand. He went back to his bacon and grabbed a few eggs, happily ignoring the stares he got.

* * *

The day only got better from there...well, for a while. I went to class and sat in the back corner – my usual spot. It looked like the shy Hufflepuff girl that usually sat next to me by default was gone, so I had the desk to myself for Muggle Studies. So basically...I had more room to stretch my arms when I fell asleep on my desk.

The sound of someone tapping loudly on my desk woke me up with a jolt, and I found myself glaring moodily at the Hufflepuff boy. I felt a little guilty the moment I realized that class was over, and he was simply waking me up before Professor Bins, the only ghost-teacher in the entire school, noticed that I slept through the class.

I quickly grabbed my bag and filed out of the classroom, running my fingers through my hair as I tried to appear like I hadn't just slept for the past two hours. My arm was yanked away from my hand as someone pulled me through the doorway and out of the small crowd of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors outside.

"What the hell?" Anthony's wide smile was the first thing I noticed.

"Hello to you too," he said, his grin growing as he released my arm.

I became a little wary after a few moments, when his expression didn't change and he didn't explain what was making him so happy. "What're you smiling about?"

"Why _aren't_ you smiling?" he asked, motioning for me to follow him down the corridor. I followed, lagging behind a little since his long legs put him at a good few inches taller than me. I picked up the pace until he abruptly stopped by a window.

I looked between him and the window, confused. "This is why you're smiling?"

He nodded. "This is supposed to be the last sunny day before it gets too cold to go and sit outside."

That sounded a little more depressing than exciting, but I simply remained quiet and let him look out the window. Suddenly, he turned towards me and grabbed my arm again, hauling me down the corridor.

"What are you doing?" I asked, forced to keep up with him since his hand had a firm grip of my elbow. "Where are we going?"

He turned back to glance at me with that same smile, the one that showed the immense contrast between his white teeth and tanned skin. "We're ditching class."

"B-But you're a Ravenclaw."

"And you're a Gryffindor," he said, rolling his eyes a little as we quickly ran down a flight of stairs.

"I meant that you're supposed to like your classes. Why would you want to skip one?"

His smile turned a little mischievous, but his pace never slowed as we made our way to the giant front doors that were wide open to allow the sun inside. "Not all Ravenclaws love their classes. And besides, I'd be mental if I was going to miss sitting outside today."

It was my turn to roll my eyes at that.

"Yeah, sure, because you're _perfectly_ sane right now." He either didn't hear me or chose to ignore my comment.

He finally slowed down when we neared the front doors. He pulled me to the side, to the point where our backs were gliding against the wall and I felt like some sort of intruder or spy. Anthony stopped altogether when we reached the large threshold, and glanced outside. Apparently, nobody was out there, because within seconds he had a tight grip on my elbow again and we were racing across the grounds towards the Black Lake.

This time though, we were sprinting. Anthony let go of my elbow so we could both run faster. I couldn't deny that this was fun, I hadn't full-out ran somewhere (that I could completely remember, at least) in a long time. The air was icy cold as it whizzed passed our ears, and I faintly heard the sound of Anthony laughing as he reached the Black Lake a few moments before I did.

I came skidding to a halt and nearly ran into him. He grabbed my arm again, pulling me around the Black Lake until we were partially hidden by the trees so that anyone in the castle wouldn't be able to see us.

"That was brilliant," he laughed in between pants. I nodded, unable to do anything but agree.

"So, what now, oh-crazy-class-skipper?" I asked with a grin, feeling the grumpiness from earlier in the day completely evaporate. He seemed to think about it for a minute, staring out at the Black Lake. While his face was thoughtful, the mischievous smile was gone – but it came back tenfold the moment an idea came to his mind.

"Now, we swim."

* * *

To say that the run back to the castle was cold was an understatement of epic proportions. The water had been surprisingly warm after a minute of getting used to it, but the air was still icy cold.

"What do you have planned now?" I asked, my teeth chattering as we stopped at the large front doors. The large front doors...that were now closed.

Anthony stared at the doors before looking around. His blond hair was clinging to his face, as his teeth were chattering just as much as mine. He turned and gave me a nervous smile.

"No plan. I guess we wait. There's no way we can get passed the spell on these doors."

"Wait, I think I know another way in," I said, leading the way around the castle.

We made sure to keep close to the stone walls in case anyone decided to look out of the windows and see two, soaking wet students sneaking around the grounds.

"Through here." A wave of relief washed over me when I found the door facing the Forbidden Forest that Remus had lead me through a few days ago. I pushed it open and shut it quietly behind us.

"How did you know about that door?" Anthony asked.

I shrugged noncommittally, not wanting to answer that question in anyway. He didn't prompt for an answer, and instead lead the way through the corridors.

"Well, I'm glad you found that," he laughed once we were further into the castle. It was completely empty as far as we could tell; it was probably sometime into the last class of the day. It was warmer inside, but not by much. Anthony had stopped shivering altogether, and I simply tried to hide the fact that I was still freezing cold.

I laughed at the image of us waiting outside the castle on the off-chance that someone would open up the doors. "Could you imagine the look on Snape's face if he found...us." I trailed off as we rounded a corner, my laughter quickly coming to a complete stop as we stood a few feet away from Remus. His eyebrow was raised in a questioning manner and the frown on his face told us that he wasn't just going to let us off with a warning. "I mean..._Professor_ Snape."


	14. Chapter 14

**The Unknown**

Chapter Fourteen

He had seriously considered it, turning us both to our head of houses for the correct punishment. Anthony wouldn't be in too much trouble; Professor Flitwick would be disappointment, but he wouldn't give him more than a few days of detention. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, would have a field day with my punishment since I'm not exactly on her 'good' list after that fight with the Slytherin.

At least now we weren't shivering so much. Even with the roaring fire in the corner of Remus's office it was still chilly, but thankfully he knew a spell that dried us off in a matter of seconds. I had to remember to ask him about that later.

"Come on." Anthony elbowed my arm, bringing me back to the conversation that had apparently gone on without me. I glanced over to Remus, who had gone back to grading papers before quickly following Anthony out of the classroom.

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Anthony said with a smirk.

"Uh, sorry. I wasn't paying attention. Did we get detention?" He raised an eyebrow at me and gave me a look that clearly meant I was mental.

"No, just got a warning. You alright?" I nodded and ignored the second sideways glance that he sent my way. After a moment he shook his head and smiled again. "Okay, let's go get some dinner before it's gone."

* * *

"Why not?" Anthony asked, shoveling another forkful of potatoes into his mouth. In almost every way, Anthony could be described as elegant...except when he ate. I watched in fascination as he stuffed more potatoes in his mouth, and then attacked the green beans.

"I dunno," I trailed off, glanced at the table behind us. "She's just not my type."

I got a weird look from Anthony, but I was quickly forgotten when the empty plate of ham on the table was refilled. I shook my head, feeling a little embarrassed for him even though people had finally gotten over the fact that a Ravenclaw was sitting at the Gryffindor table.

"Okay, um...," he glanced around the table. "What about Hannah Boykewich?"

I suppressed the urge to laugh. "Isn't she three years younger than me?"

Anthony shrugged and moved on, continuing to look around the Great Hall with a critical eye.

"Tammi Uris?"

"I think her hair will eat me."

"What about Emily Smoak? She's nice and smart."

I shook my head again. "She's not smart, she's annoying."

He finally seemed to have given up, and focused again on his plate of food. It wasn't that I didn't like any girls at school, it just becomes complicated when you see them day in and day out for years. They become more like neighbors than a datable girl. That, and the fact that I probably wouldn't be able to have a relationship in general because of my "condition".

I still hated that word, but there was no way to get around it. I hated admitting that I was a werewolf more than admitting that it was a condition – a sickness. So I denied any girl that Anthony tried to push my way.

I wasn't sure if it was sweet or annoying that he was trying to set me up, but before I could decide, Anthony slammed his hand on the table between our plates. I jumped at the sudden noise.

"I've got it." His voice was filled with triumph as he finished his last forkful of food.

"What?"

"Meagan Annsten. She's a friend of mine from Ravenclaw. She'll be perfect for you."

"No, I don't need to be set up."

"Of course you don't _need_ to be-" he ignored the glare I sent him "-but wouldn't it be nice to start dating at some point?"

Luckily, he turned his attention back to his food, and I wasn't forced to come up with yet another excuse as to why I didn't want to date anyone. I waited, slightly on edge, throughout dinner for the moment when Anthony would turn back to me and pick right back up where he left off, but he never did. Dinner passed by, and soon dessert did as well, and he hadn't said anything that wasn't about homework or the food.

I was relieved when we started to head back to our dorms. I could see it ahead, the corridor where the Gryffindors have to head up a flight of stairs and where the Ravenclaws head the other way. We were so close, and though I didn't actually want to get away from Anthony, I didn't want to chance that he'd bring up dating again.

He suddenly stopped walking, and it took me a moment to realize it. I stopped as well and turned around, giving him a curious look that silently asked him what was wrong. He was staring at the ground with his eyebrows slightly drawn together. His eyes looked troubled, and the edges of his mouth were turned down just slightly. We waiting in silence as students passed us by until we were the only ones left in the corridor.

"What's wrong?" I asked, reluctantly taking a few steps back to him. He glanced up and me and tried for a weak smile, but he still looked trouble.

"Okay, can I ask you something?" I nodded. "Are you sure? Because it's kind of a personal question, and I don't want you to...I dunno, get offended or anything." I felt my blood run cold. What could possibly be this serious? My mind jumped to one thing.

But how could he possibly know about me being a werewolf? I didn't think I had given anything away. Then again, Anthony was smart, maybe he read about the signs.

He took a deep breath and I braced myself for the worst.

"Are you...gay?"

I let out a long breath and wanted to jump in the air for joy. He _didn't_ think I was a werewolf! I wanted to shout it out, but I had to keep that bit of information to myself. He didn't think I was a werewolf, he just thought that I was...

"Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah, kind of. I'm sorry, I knew this would be awkward to talk about. If you're not ready, you don't have to say-"

"No! No, I mean, I'm not...gay." He didn't seem to believe me. He started walking down the corridor again, but this time it was me that wanted us to stop and talk. "I'm serious!"

"Look, I won't force you to talk about it or him if you don't want to." My mind completely skipped over those two words that would normally irritated me: _or him_. I went to argue again, but he cut me off. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, and I'll bring that Charms book so you can use it for your essay."

I sighed in irritation, even if I yelled after him, he still wouldn't believe me. I sat down heavily on the stairs, watching him disappear around the corner.

I was finally left alone – something I had wanted moments ago, but not now.

"Having some trouble?" I recognized the voice, but still jumped a bit as Nearly Headless Nick's head floated up through the staircase. Slowly, his entire body floated higher until he was hovering over the ground beside me.

"Very observant of you." He ignored my tone.

"You know, you aren't the first gay student to attend Hogwarts. The wizarding world is very accepting of your kind-"

"I'm not gay!"

Nearly Headless Nick nodded his head – which wobbled slightly on his neck – before giving me an incredulous stare. Before I could say anything else, he floated back down through the stairs.


End file.
